Photo Record

Catalog Number

WF 1877

Caption

Martinsen Shipyard-Apex Cannery conversion

Description

This is one of nine images that Brady took of the conversion of Apex Cannery into Martinsen Shipyards. See WF 1870-1878 and WF 0428. This view shows the interior of the old cannery. Martinsen Shipyard located just east of 6th and I at the former site of Apex Fish Company. This area was the site of the McNaught Dock built in 1890. See WF 0060 for a view of this area in 1890. Following the collapse of the Anacortes boom in 1891, this area of Anacortes rapidly quieted down. Apex Cannery began at this site c. 1901 and closed in the mid-1930s. The 6-4-1942 ANACORTES AMERICAN reported, "Shipyard here." "Martinsen Shipyard Company of Seattle to commence work immediately on building of ways ... on waterfront." "Shipyard to locate between G to J avenues at end of 6th Street. Shipyard will build mine sweeper and Navy auxiliary types of vessels. Martinsen Shipyard Company of Seattle will erect a large and complete shipyard. Machinery to be moved here around June 16. 1060 feet of frontage property have been taken over by the company. The main building measures 460 feet long and 150 feet wide, giving the yard building 69,000 square feet. Railroad facilities and water frontage will be an exceptional advantage to shipbuilding. Naval architects Harold Lee and associates of Seattle are preparing plans for the remodeling and fitting of the docks suitable for the construction of ships up to 300 feet in length. Officers and executives: Martin M. Martinsen, president. Joseph O Donnell, vice president. Dave J. Grant, treasurer. Melvin Martinsen, secretary. Harold M. Troy, Olympia, attorney." The 6-11-1942 issue continued, "Before bulk of the work on the yard commences, Naval Architects will complete over-all layout of the construction and overhauling work to be done at the plant site. Applications for positions in the yard are being taken this week as preparations are being made to launch full scale construction work within a short time. The old Apex cannery building at the foot of J Avenue, which has not been used for a number of years, will be remodeled, it is reported, and will form the main building and offices of the company." Less that a year later, the 3-4-1943 paper reported, "Hawthorne buys the Martinsen shipyards. New supervision." The business was renamed North Pacific Shipbuilding Corporation.